In short
Copenhagen's harbour has been cleaned to the point where people swim in it: the baths at Islands Brygge and Kalvebod Bølge are public, free and right in the centre.
More than half of all commutes are made by bike, on wide separated lanes. Hiring a bicycle is not an activity here, it is the normal way to get around.
What it really costs
It is expensive, plainly. Danish VAT is twenty-five per cent with no reduced rate, and it shows on everything: restaurants, groceries, transport.
The usual workaround is eating at the covered market or from street stalls rather than restaurants, and cycling rather than taking the metro. Over a month the difference is considerable.
What nobody tells you
The country is close to cashless. Cards work everywhere, including for a coffee, and some businesses no longer take notes at all.
Cycle lanes have rules and they are enforced: you signal with your hand, you do not walk on them, and a distracted pedestrian is told off sharply.
Winter is dark more than cold. In December the sun comes up around half past eight and sets around half past three, which changes entirely how a day is organised.
